Poem by Robert Burns: 'Tam o' Shanter - A Tale'

Poem by Robert Burns: 'Tam o' Shanter - A Tale', page 06 of 14

Introduction:

Tam has spent the evening in a pub getting drunk with his friends and on his way home on horseback encounters the devil and a crowd of witches cavorting inside the auld Kirk of Alloway. Careless with drink, Tam disturbs the witches and flees towards the nearby bridge over the river Doon - with the witches in hot pursuit. (poem No 321)

Image Rights Holder:

National Trust for Scotland

Ref:

BMT331.02F

Project:

618:The Burns Manuscripts at Alloway

What:

Poem by Robert Burns: 'Tam o' Shanter - A Tale'

Subject:

Printed in the second volume of The Antiquities of Scotland by Captain Grose. Burns had persuaded Grose to include a drawing of Alloway Kirk in his work which Grose agreed to do, on condition that Burns provided him with a suitable poem to go with the engraving.

Printed in the second volume of The Antiquities of Scotland by Captain Grose. Burns had persuaded Grose to include a drawing of Alloway Kirk in his work which Grose agreed to do, on condition that Burns provided him with a suitable poem to go with the engraving.

Description:

Page six of fourteen which reads from 'Whiles holding fast' down to ''in a bleeze'. Burns skillfully routes Tam from Ayr to Alloway past several notable landmarks with supernatural connections. Tam is looking out for 'bogles' hearing the hooting owls while the storm rages evermore intense with flashing lightning and rolling thunder until he sights 'Kirk-Alloway .. in a bleeze'.